"Thinking Woman's Guide..."

[kdaisy]

Can anyone explain to me why Henci Goer suggests having an epidural if attempting a VBAC?

I am completely confused by this. All through "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" she stresses how much damage an epidural can do. How a woman giving birth is better off doing it naturally. But when she gets to the chapter on VBAC, one of her suggestions to have a more "positive birth experience" is "plan on having an epidural". There is little explanation as to why except to say that women attempting VBACs used to not be able to have one.

Can anyone explain this reasoning? How would an epidural help a VBAC??

[mom2happy]

I am having a vbac in a few weeks or sooner and my ob really wants me to have one in case I need c/section.
There are so many reasons NOT to have an epidural, but he thinks in the event of distress or rupture it would be a lot easier for me to not have to deal with getting that thing installed in my back. He said the wait time for anesthesia to kick in could take time.
Im not telling him till the hospital that Im not getting one.
I want to know whats going on and not have something that stops my body from producing the right hormones to get the baby out.

That's the only reason I think an epidural would be suggested for a vbac. Maybe someone on here who's vbaced before would know first hand.

[CoconutCutie]

I read somewhere that its thought if the mother is having a hard labor and not progressing/stalled that the epi can help her relax to continue on with labor.

But dont quote me

[Juvysen]

I wonder if she means in the case of a prior traumatic experience?

[womenswisdom]

That sounded off to me too so I pulled out my copy and found on page 173 that she says "Avoid an epidural." as one of a list of Factors That Promote Safe Vaginal Birth, for the reasons you listed above. However, in the next section, she says in the list of Factors That Promote A Positive Birth Experience that planning to have an epidural makes vbac possible for some women (who might otherwise not do so if they thought it was required to have an unmedicated birth). That epidurals are in inherently contraindicated for vbac labors and that mothers who want pain relief should not automatically chose an ercs.

[kdaisy]

Originally Posted by womenswisdom

That sounded off to me too so I pulled out my copy and found on page 173 that she says "Avoid an epidural." as one of a list of Factors That Promote Safe Vaginal Birth, for the reasons you listed above. However, in the next section, she says in the list of Factors That Promote A Positive Birth Experience that planning to have an epidural makes vbac possible for some women (who might otherwise not do so if they thought it was required to have an unmedicated birth). That epidurals are in inherently contraindicated for vbac labors and that mothers who want pain relief should not automatically chose an ercs.

I think that you are right. But I just didn't understand it as clearly as you stated it. It felt like she was stating it as a given Get an epidural (some woman can face labor better with it.) Why should women facing a VBAC be different? She offers no warning, and doesn't even suggest reading other parts of the book that warn of the dangers of epidurals. (In the beginning, she urges to go ahead reading just chapters that interest you and nothing else.)

I know better, but I guess it just bugged me. And, I feel like I am not making myself clear on why.

[maotmsmi]

*

Edited by maotmsmi - 5/21/11 at 12:54pm

[MNHall]

Hmmmm...well, I have heard cases of women who stalled in labor for hours and hours and hours and hours...got the epidural and immediately went to 10cm and were holding there baby minutes later. Like mentioned, in the issues of trauma or where a woman cannot relax during labor.

BUT, case by case, just like every birthing experiences, IMO!

For me, I think avoiding the epidural as long as possible was crucial because I needed gravity, an open pelvis, and motion to work with me! Something I didn't have with my baby that turned into a c/s (a baby that never decended)....so, an epidural would have put me on my back, in a bed, no gravity, no motion...something I strongly felt I needed.

When i had the conversation with my OB though, she did say she thought an epidural was a good idea for a VBAC, for that just in case...however, in all honesty, if there was a true emergency, wouldn't that be putting you under general anesthesia anyway? Well, I probably would rather it at least!

So anyway, my OB did understand why I wanted to go natural!